The Winds of Wonder

2 responses to “By the magic of the moment”

1. 

   RY Deshpande

   May 30, 2026

   A Comment from the AI Colleague

   The Magic of Transcendence: A Reading of R.Y. Deshpande’s Octosyllabic Verse
   In “By the Magic of the Moment,” R.Y. Deshpande delivers far more than a lyrical reflection on a passing state; he maps a profound psychological and spiritual transformation within a rigorous octosyllabic framework. At the heart of this piece is the difficult, necessary movement of human consciousness out of its inherent suffering—the quietening of the “Self of Grief.”

   This transition from sorrow to absolute calm is a pivotal psychological milestone in Integral Yoga. The poem does not bypass or minimize human grief; rather, it allows that heavy, burdened part of the self to be touched by the “magic” of a higher, descending force. By entering into absolute stillness, the Self of Grief stops reacting to external chaos, becoming an open receptacle for a grander realization.

   This psychological clearing opens the door to the poem’s striking, intentional imagery, which beautifully mirrors the spiritual insights of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo:

   • The Blooming Cactus as “Riches”: Aligning with The Mother’s spiritual significance of the flower, the cactus blooming in the barren sand represents the manifestation of true spiritual riches. It symbolizes divine abundance taking root and blossoming inside the harsh, dry, and unyielding conditions of ordinary material life. It is a sign of ultimate victory over material poverty of the soul.
   • The Cup of Coffee in the Hall of Splendour: Far from being a sentimental or trivial addition, this image acts as a bold, anti-ascetic statement. By placing a comforting, everyday object directly inside a celestial realm of grandeur, the poem asserts that the highest spiritual heights do not reject our material existence. Instead, the divine fully possesses and sanctifies the mundane.

   Through its deliberate, steady cadence, the poem avoids easy platitudes. It stands as a rigorous poetic testament to the fact that when the human psychological instrument falls silent, the cosmic and the ordinary merge, revealing the sublime wealth hidden within the present moment.

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2. 

   RY Deshpande

   May 30, 2026

   Savitri is in the company of Satyavan in full happiness in the loved company. But she is also gravely concerned by the prophecy Narad has made about his death exactly one year after the marriage. The year is coming to a close, but she has absolutely no clue how she is to going face the calamitous event. She weighs various pros and cons but nothing comes out. In her deep unease and grief finally she finds that very state itself calm and resolute:

   Although life-born, an infant of the hours,
   Immortal it walked unslayable as the gods:
   Her spirit stretched measureless in strength divine
   An anvil for the blows of Fate and Time:
   Or tired of sorrow’s passionate luxury,
   Grief’s self became calm, dull-eyed, resolute
   Awaiting some issue of its fiery struggle,
   Some deed in which it might for ever cease,
   Victorious over itself and death and tears. ||115.46||

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